Journalists and filmmakers joined content creators and actors at the 13th Asian Media Awards in Manchester.
The awards celebrate achievements in a range of categories in journalism, investigations, TV, radio, stage, online and creative media.
The ceremony is supported by the University of Salford and took place at The Manchester Deansgate Hotel on Friday (October 31). It follows a shortlist announcement which was held at BBC Broadcasting House in London.
The 2025 ceremony was hosted by Sky Sports presenter Bela Shah.
Channel 4 correspondent wins journalism honour
The premier jouranalism award on the night went to Channel 4’s Home Affairs correspondent Darshna Soni, who was named Manchester Metropolitan University Journalist of the Year.
Speaking on stage she said: “I want to big up everyone from Channel 4 News. It is such a great news programme to work on.
“I am so proud every time I come to these awards and see all the talent that exists in our community.
“We all know it has been a really tough time at the minute.
“At Channel 4 News we have tried to get under the skin and explain a bit about whats going on.”
The coveted Best Investigation honour for 2025 went to the BBC’s Culture Reporter Noor Nanji for the MasterChef Investigation.
The Regional Journalist of the Year award was presented to BBC CWR Radio reporter, Ushma Mistry.
Congratulating her fellow nominees she said: “Local news is the heartbeat of many of the communities it serves and I am really proud to be entrusted to tell the stories which matter to them, so I was very honoured and humbled to have won.”
Sky’s Amrit Singh Mann was named Outstanding Young Journalist.
In a touching moment, Amrit thanked his mum and dad whilst on stage for the sacrifices they had made for him.
He later said: “I’m incredibly honoured to win this award. Over the past four years, I’ve been fortunate to work within a brilliant team at Sky News and to tell important stories. It remains a privilege to do what I do, and I’m as committed as ever to accurate, independent, and impartial reporting.
“This award is a huge encouragement to keep doing that work. I’m deeply grateful to everyone who has supported me along the way – my colleagues, mentors, friends, and family.”
The 2025 Sports Journalist of the Year was Miriam Walker-Khan.
The Report of the Year award for 2025 went to ‘Woman, Life, Surveillance’. The report shows how a steady stream of civil disobedience on social media and on the streets continues to be met with an even harsher clamp down in Iran.
The 2025 Media Personality of the Year honour went to comedian, host, author and now actor, Romesh Ranganathan.
Described as the ‘hardest working man’ in comedy Romesh has appeared in some of the most popular shows and programmes in Britain.
Romesh is known for fronting The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan, BAFTA-winning Rob & Romesh Vs, A League Of Their Own, The Ranganation, Asian Provocateur, and BBC One’s Weakest Link.
Sudha Bhuchar wins TV, Film & Theatre honour
Sudha Bhuchar was presented with the Sophiya Haque Services to British Television, Film and Theare award.
Sudha’s pioneering contribution over four decades has helped to change lives and shape the cultural landscape of contemporary Britian.
She co-founded Tamasha theatre company, in 1989, which would help to launch the careers of some of the most famous performers of their generation.
She has appeared in a host of TV sows including Eastenders and Coronation Street and also in film roles, such Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns, Riz Ahmed and Bassam Tariq’s Mogul Mowgli. Most recently, she could be seen in the hit BBC series Virdee.
Sudha Bhuchar said: “I am truly humbled and honoured to receive this award and to illuminate and keep alive the memory of Sophiya Haque, a beautiful soul with immense talent.
“In an industry that can be punishing and leave us spent, I hope my journey can inspire others to fashion their own path and believe that agency and longevity can be within our gift.”
In the TV and streaming categories, the Best Programme Award went to ‘Amol Rjan Goes To The Ganges’ and the Best Show award was won by the hit TV detective series ‘Virdee’.
The Best TV Character award was won by Shebz Miah for his role as Kammy Hadiq in soap Emmerdale.
Musician, composer, writer and actor, Maimuna Enya Memon, who played Sonya in ‘Natasha Pierre And The Great Comet Of 1812’ at The Donmar Warehouse was named Best Newcomer.
The Olivier Award has written and composed work a host of theatre productions.
In the stage categories, the Best Stage Production Category was won by Expendable, tells the story of two who sisters grapple with the impact on their community as the men around them are embroiled in a sexual abuse scandal that rocked northern England in the 1990s and 2010s.
Speaking on stage writer Emteaz Hussain said: “I am speechless I did not expect that.
“Thank you Asian Media Awards. I did not expect it with such a stellar line up.
“We worked so hard to get a production on. Against all the odds and diminishing funds.”
The Outstanding Performance on Stage category was won by Azan Ahmed as Yusuf in Statues. Azan starred and wrote the heart-warming and poignant production about a son searching for answers following the death of his father.
Azan thanked his co-actor Jonny Khan in his winning speech and also others in the shortlist.
He added: “Thank you to the Bush Theatre & Two Magpies Productions for championing me as an actor-writer. I share this award with our incredible Statues team.
“We made a show which highlighted all the beautiful possibilities British-Muslim men hold but are forced to hold down. I hope this win encourages us to make from the heart, to use performance as a bridge of empathy – we never know who we’ll reach.”
Last surviving member of 80s Pebble Mill team honoured
Waseem Mahmood OBE was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Media Award. Over the past four decades the career of Waseem has transformed how media serves diverse communities.
One of the pioneers of Asian programming at the BBC in the eighties, he went on to begin the satellite revolution of Asian TV channels in the 1990s, by launching TV Asia which was later acquired by Zee TV.
His later work in conflict zones helped to create communication and policy strategies for governments and broadcasters worldwide.
He said: “When I started at the BBC, there were only five of us producing network television and perhaps half a dozen more Asians in the industry. It’s wonderful to see how far we’ve come, but the conversations we’re having now about representation and diversity are exactly the same ones we were having forty years ago.
“Not much has changed. Just last year I was developing a project with a commissioner, only to be told by his boss that they already had their ‘brown project’ for the year. We have to be seen as more than a box-ticking exercise.”
“I’m deeply touched by this recognition, but it belongs as much to those who came before me as to those still pushing boundaries today. The fight for genuine inclusion in media isn’t over, but moments like this remind us how far persistence and passion can take us.”
Boxing channel with worldwide appeal picks up Best Video Channel
The Best Video Channel winner for 2025 was Boxing King Media.
In just a few years, Boxing King Media has grown into the largest boxing video channel in the world. It has over 1 million subscribers on YouTube, a monthly reach of over 30 million viewers across all platforms, and has garnered more than half a billion views in the last 12 months alone.
In the online categories the Best Blog / Website award was presented to DesiBlitz.
The Best Podcast Award went to the Making a Husband Podcast from commedian Tez Ilyas and wife Shy.
In the radio categories Reno Annobil was named the Best Radio Show and Lyca’s Raj Baddhan was named Radio Presenter of the Year.
Sunrise Radio won the Radio Station of the Year category.
Campaigns and media agency winners
The Creative Media Award went to No Stone Unturned: Kidney Health Campaign for the South-Asian Community by Intent Health for Alnylam Pharmaceuticals with National Kidney Federation & South Asian Health Action
PR UK was named Media Agency of the year.
ITV Central picks up Diversity in Media Award
The 2025 Diversity in Media Award went to the team at ITV Central for their efforts to improve representation and boasts a culturally diverse management team.
Furthermore, senior leaders of Asian backgrounds across ITV have benefited from development at ITV Central, including the current Head of News at ITV West Country and the ITV Border Programme and Digital Editor.
